Difference In 'Noles' Play? It's All Rix

College Game Day

November 4, 2001|By Mike Bianchi, Sentinel Columnist

CLEMSON, S.C. -- This is what matters. This is all that ever matters.

The quarterback.

You can talk about Florida State's early season injuries, you can talk about the youth, you can talk about defensive breakdowns, but there is only one reason why the fallen Seminoles have climbed back aboard Renegade and are riding toward yet another Atlantic Coast Conference title:

The quarterback.

A few weeks ago Chris Rix was about to drive Bobby Bowden to the mental ward. Now he's starting to look like Charlie Ward.

"Everything revolves around how that dad-gum quarterback is playing, and ours is starting to play pretty good," the FSU coach said after Rix threw four touchdowns and passed for 369 yards in Florida State's 41-27 victory over Clemson on Saturday.

This third renewal of the Bowden Bowl ended like all the others: With daddy Bobby whupping little Tommy yet again. Bobby's Seminoles have put up 95 points in the past two games with Tommy's Tigers. Forget the BCS, if Bobby keeps abusing his kid like this he might soon be getting a visit from HRS.

Tommy tried everything imaginable to beat daddy in this chromosomal coaching matchup between X and O. He even tried to out-Bowden Bobby with a sneak-attack "Puntrooski." The play went for a 61-yard TD, but was called back because of an illegal formation.

Did the questionable officiating call cost Clemson a chance at victory? Well, maybe you could say it was a game-turning play -- if you choose to ignore Rix leading the Seminoles to nearly 600 yards of offense.

All you need to know about Rix's maturation is this: In Florida State's two early losses to North Carolina and Miami, he accounted for nine turnovers. In the past two games, he has thrown for nine touchdowns.

To think, two weeks ago, FSU coaches considered benching Rix and going with true freshman Adrian McPherson. All the turnovers were driving Bowden crazy, but he kept repeating to himself, "Be patient . . . Be patient."

Which is difficult. In this microwaved, Microsoft world of instant messaging and instant gratification, we expect to win wars in a couple of weeks, and we expect FSU quarterbacks to win national championships every year. Did everybody forget that Rix, a redshirt freshman, is the most inexperienced starting quarterback Bowden has had in his 26 years at FSU?

"It was good that Coach Bowden made it clear that my play in those early games was unacceptable," Rix said. "Sometimes, you need to hear those things."

To Bowden's credit, he stuck with Rix just as he did nearly a decade ago when another young quarterback -- Ward -- struggled. Bowden considered benching Ward, too, but thought better of it because of the quarterback's marvelous athletic ability.

Rix is unquestionably the best pure athlete the Seminoles have had at QB since Charlie Wonderful himself. The fact is, the Seminoles are much better now than they were two weeks ago. And guess what? They're going to be even better in two more weeks when they play the Gators.